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Saturday, 2 March 2013

According to Webster’s dictionary, a volunteer is a person who voluntarily undertakes or expresses a willingness to undertake a service and citizenship is the character of an individual viewed as a member of society; behavior in terms of the duties, obligations, and functions of a citizen.

When willingness and character combine, the results are amazing; they create a community RICH in assets.

Volunteering for some work for helping somebody from the time immemorial is considered to be as the work of God , and a volunteer a messenger of the god According to Great Mahatma Gandhi he said that , " if you feel very sad or very lonely or depressed , help a weeping child to make him or her happy, help a poor mother , help a poor man , the feeling the happiness you will get is above all else and you will proud of your self ". Not only Volunteering helps a person gaining his confidence , but it also locates his desire , his willingness to support , to help to reach out to the needy one who needs his help more than any thing else in this world. There is no big worship then helping somebody ,and there is no big God then the one who helps somebody.

This RICH asset begins with finding your passion for giving e.g. music, the arts, political,women , chidlren , educational, business, seniors,disabled, etc. There are numerous opportunities to VOLUNTEER in your community and abroad in developing countriesd like India , which need your support and help there is a organization where you can find opprtunities matching your interest , caliber and work HEEALS Volunteer Opportunities is a great place to start to match your giving with a community need.

And there are great rewards for the volunteer:

Career opportunities

Expanded Proffesional Network

Expanded knowledge

Experience on your resume

Refine your talents / gifts

Sense of Pride

High Confidence Level

Improve lives in the community

Volunteering will open doors of career opportunities. Employers seek employees with proven dedication and commitment to fulfilling their obligations. And for those who have little or no career experience, volunteer experience is a valuable asset on the resume.

Communities need volunteers and volunteers need to give of their gifts and talents to the community.You can also give some thing back to the community , Why Late , Do It Now : CONTACT HEEALS

Volunteers have healthier cardiovascular systems

Heart health improves after 10 weeks' volunteering

The most empathetic see the greatest health benefits

Older volunteers are less likely to be depressed

Being a volunteer is good for the heart as well as the soul, claim researchers.

A new study shows even at a young age, people who volunteer have healthier cardiovascular systems that could stave off heart disease.

The study found improvements in several measurements of heart health among volunteers after just 10 weeks of taking part in community programmes.

Even at a young age, people who volunteer have healthier cardiovascular systems

Experts say the research adds to evidence that giving time and energy to help others not only makes people feel good, it has a positive effect on physical wellbeing.

Researcher Hannah Schreier, of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, said: ‘The volunteers who reported the greatest increases in empathy, altruistic behaviour and mental health were the ones who also saw the greatest improvements in their cardiovascular health.’

Dr Schreier led the study looking at the effect of volunteering on adolescents’ physical health while working at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

The study involved 106 teenagers from an urban, inner-city Vancouver high school who were split into two groups - a group that volunteered regularly for 10 weeks and a group that was wait-listed for volunteer activities.

Older people who volunteer to help others are less depressed, have a better quality of life and are happier with their lives as a result

The researchers measured the students’ body mass index (BMI), inflammation levels - which affect heart health - and cholesterol scores before and after the study.

They also assessed the students’ self-esteem, mental health, mood, and empathy, says a report published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics (must credit).

The volunteer group of students spent one hour per week working with elementary school children in after-school programs in their neighbourhood.

After 10 weeks they had lower levels of inflammation and cholesterol and lower BMIs than the students who were wait-listed.

Dr Schreier said: ‘It was encouraging to see how a social intervention to support members of the community also improved the health of adolescents.’

She said the first signs of heart disease can begin to appear during adolescence, and previous studies show that psychosocial factors, such as stress, depression and wellbeing, play a role in its development.

The study follows a survey last year by the UK charity WRVS which found being an older volunteer is good for your health.

Older people who volunteer to help others are less depressed, have a better quality of life and are happier with their lives as a result.

Those who take part in more volunteering activities, more frequently, boost happiness levels even further, with volunteers gaining improvements in depression levels, quality of life and life satisfaction over the following two years.